Sunday, March 29, 2015

Protest in Prague: Tanks-No-Thanks

In Prague’s Wenceslas Square some 1,500 people demonstrated yesterday,
Saturday 29th March, against Operation “Dragoon Ride” in which US army
personnel and equipment are crossing Czech Republic territory starting
today on the way to their German base. Speeches were given by several
anti-war organisations, including the Communist Party and World without
Wars and Violence all of which spoke highly critically of the government
for the way that the decision to allow this procession has been made
without going through parliament and knowing that 70% of the population
is against the presence of foreign troops.

What concerns the demonstrators apart from being an unnecessary show
of strength is that this troop build-up looks like a step towards a war
that implicates the whole of Europe.

Demonstrators did not allow themselves to be provoked by dozens of
counter-protesters with American, Ukrainian and NATO flags who came to
threaten the speakers.

Most organisations present agreed that the only way towards peace is
to exit NATO which they consider to be an instrument of the USA to
justify aggressive foreign policy. Dana Feminova, speaking for World
without Wars and Violence said, “Although I don’t share the opinions of
Putin in many areas, I have to agree with the analysis of our former
President Klaus who said that Russia has no responsibility for the
Ukrainian crisis.”

The atmosphere among protesters is one of great concern. Some have
compared what is happening now to the invasion by Nazi Germany in 1938
after the Conference of Munich in which the then Czechoslovakia was
handed over to Hitler by France and the UK.

It is certainly true that the last time tanks entered Prague, they
were Soviet ones coming to crush moves to democracy and before that they
were Hitler’s tanks so the presence of foreign military vehicles on the
streets, far from reassuring people is making them nervous.